It’s worth repeating until the Pittsburgh Steelers fix it – the franchise needs a return man. Pittsburgh has woefully lagged behind the rest of the NFL in adapting to 2024’s dynamic kickoff model. No team has been worse than the Steelers. Pittsburgh has only been marginally better on punt returns, but lost WR/PR Calvin Austin III to the New York Giants in free agency.

Currently, the team has no strong or obvious internal candidates for the role. This year’s draft, however, offers plenty of options for the Steelers to consider. Below is a comprehensive list of prospects broken down into pure punt returners, pure kick returners, and those who can do both.

Kick & Punt Returners
Kaden Wetjen/WR Iowa

The gem of the class. If Pittsburgh is aggressively pursuing an all-around returner, Wetjen is the guy. Numbers don’t lie: in three seasons at Iowa, he returned four punts for touchdowns and ran back another two kicks for scores.

Wetjen averaged 17.7 yards per punt return and 27.5 per kick return. Both are excellent numbers, with the punt production truly popping. An All-American for his special teams ability, Wetjen could be a game-changer for Pittsburgh’s return game. One problem is his limited offensive value. He caught just 23 passes and chipped in another 23 rushes. It’s doubtful he’ll make a much bigger imprint on the NFL level. But as a pure returner, no one in this class has a stronger resume than Wetjen.

Michael Wortham/WR Montana

A notable FCS name, Wortham spent the 2025 season with Montana. A do-it-all player, he returned 31 kicks for nearly 800 yards. Wortham failed to find the end zone but averaged a solid 25.2 yards per return. He dabbled in punt returns, having seven attempts with a long of 41 yards.

Beginning his college career at Eastern Washington, Wortham served as the team’s kick returner, averaging 28.6 yards across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He had one score in 2024.

A true all-purpose player who even played part-time quarterback during his time at EWU, he’s a fun late-round flier. Small school expert Josh Buchanan noted he’s gained steam.

A name to watch in the pro day circuit this week is Montana WR Michael Wortham. I put a draftable grade on him and believe he could get drafted with a good workout. His film in 2025 was really good. Would have gotten more buzz if he were bigger.

— Josh (@joshbdraft) March 30, 2026

Pittsburgh has a trio of seventh-round picks. Using one on Wortham makes sense.

Caullin Lacy/WR Louisville

A six-year college player, Lacy can handle kicks and punts. Splitting time between South Alabama and Louisville, he returned 86 career punts and 34 kicks. Production didn’t pop, but it was good, especially in 2025. Lacy returned a pair of punts for scores and averaged an awesome 18.2 yards per attempt. In 2024, he notched a touchdown on just five attempts.

As a receiver, he once posted a 1,300-yard season in 2023 at South Alabama. Lacy makes for an interesting end-of-roster player.

Jacob De Jesus/WR Cal

An underneath receiving threat with over 100 catches in 2025, De Jesus also served as a dual-threat returner. For his career, he notched 63 punt returns and another 59 on kicks. He never recorded a touchdown but posted acceptable averages in both areas: 23.3 yards on kicks, 12.2 yards on punts.

De Jesus likely can be added post-draft to compete for a roster spot. However, it’s worth noting he’s awaiting word from the court system on whether he can return to school in 2026. Welcome to the current world of college football.

Kick Returners
Jadarian Price/RB Notre Dame

As Jeremiyah Love’s backup, Price found other ways to contribute. A strong kick returner, he ran back two for scores this season. One was against Purdue, the other versus USC, and both were well-earned, with Price breaking tackles along the way. Add in another score as a freshman, and Price had three total runbacks during his time with the Fighting Irish.

His 37.5 yards per kick return in 2025 led the entire FBS.

As a runner or returner, Price shows burst and open-field speed not even fully captured in his 4.49 40 time at the Combine. Given that the new model is similar to a running play, Pittsburgh’s used RBs on that unit (Kaleb Johnson, Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell), and Price could seamlessly step in. He would also provide real offensive value, too.

The downside is Price will be a Day Two pick, and Pittsburgh is highly unlikely to address running back that early. That takes him out of consideration for the Steelers.

Jaden Nixon/WR UCF

A double-transfer who began at Oklahoma State, switched to Western Michigan, and finished up at UCF, Nixon is a pure but successful kick returner. He has 68 career attempts, a 22.8-yard average, and two scores. In 2025, he ran back a kick against North Carolina A&T, a 96-yard score.

Nixon has almost no punt-return experience, and his kick-return figures, while good in aggregate, don’t pop as much as others. Offensively, he has receiving/rushing versatility and a nose for the end zone, having 19 scores the last two years. He could be a UDFA signing.

Barion Brown/WR LSU

Really interesting name here. Mostly a kick returner, Brown posted eye-popping numbers. Between his time at Kentucky and LSU, he had 65 kick returns with six touchdowns, one nearly every 10 attempts. He averaged nearly 30 yards per return and posted three scores in 2023 while running at least one back for a touchdown all four seasons.

Unfortunately, his punt-return resume is light with just 11 tries, most of which came as a freshman in 2022. Invited to the NFL Combine, Brown turned in a 4.40 40 and should be in Pittsburgh’s consideration.

Kendrick Law/WR Kentucky

I sneak Law into all my special teams conversations. His return resume is a lot thinner than you might expect for his skill set. Law has just 31 career kick returns and four punts. But he’s fast, compact in size, and has some tackle-breaking ability. There’s a chance he can have a better NFL career than college. Couple that with his coverage game ability as a gunner on punts and chess piece offensive value, and he should be an option on Day Three.

Pittsburgh’s already brought him in for a visit.

Punt Returners
Denzel Boston/WR Washington & KC Concepcion/WR Texas A&M

Lumping these two notable names together. If Pittsburgh drafts either, it won’t be solely for their return pursuits. Boston and Concepcion are possible first-rounders with true value as receivers. But they offer value on special teams, too.

Boston returned 25 punts in his career, housing one in 2025 against UC Davis. Concepcion’s resume is fuller. Last year, he returned 25 punts for an average of 18.2 yards and a pair of scores: one against UTSA, the other versus LSU. Neither handle kicks but would be in the mix on punts, adding to their Day One value as a No. 3 receiver.

Kevin Coleman Jr./WR Missouri

Coleman has standalone wide receiver value, but also has a large punt return background. The Tigers’ primary returner for the last three seasons, he returned 57 punts over that span. His production wasn’t gaudy, 8.1 yards per attempt, but he brought one back for a score against Arkansas late in the year, a 67-yard play.

Versatility is something Coleman takes pride in, as our own Ross McCorkle outlined at the Senior Bowl.

Coleman is battling to hear his name called at the end of Day Two, but is more likely to be taken on Day Three.

Hank Beatty/WR Illinois

Breaking out offensively in 2025 with 70 catches, Beatty also handled punts over his final two years for Illinois. In 2024, he averaged a Big Ten-best 14.1 yards per punt return. In 2025, he bettered that to 16.4 yards, including a score against FCS Western Illinois. To be fair, that’s where the majority of his 2025 punt-return production came from (113 of his 213 season yards), so Beatty isn’t the strongest option for Pittsburgh to consider.

Desmond Reid/RB Pitt

A local product, Reid is a recognizable name on the list. He returned 18 punts for the Panthers but made each one count. Reid ran two back for touchdowns, though neither came against great competition. One versus Kent State in 2024, while another was against Duquesne in 2025.

Still, there’s some experience and production. Combined with his rushing and receiving value and local roots, he’s probably on Pittsburgh’s radar.